How to create leadership in groups and teams, in 8 key ideas

Leadership is an ingredient capable of making the potential of a group of people a qualitative leap. It is not just a question of coordinating and promoting cooperation among the members of a group. In addition, you have to motivate, set an example, make sure that the method of work does not waste effort, etc.

In this article we will see several key ideas about how to create leadership in situations that require this role.

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How to create leadership in a group

Despite the fact that leadership is a complex phenomenon, fortunately it is possible to learn to be a leader. In the next few lines we will see the fundamental ideas from which we must start to begin to adopt the role of leader.

1. Don't appeal to authority

The fact of justifying one's own leadership based only on the supposed authority that one has, in most cases, it only reduces credibility to whoever does it.

This is so because leadership is not something you have as you could have an object, but rather it is something you exercise; it is demonstrated with what is done and with what is said. Furthermore, in this way that authority is not seen as something imposed and artificial.

The only case in which it is necessary to appeal to authority is when it is very clear that there is nothing to argue and everyone can see very clearly that continuing to question a decision only serves to waste time valuable.

2. Perfect your communication skills

Communication is essential to be a leader. Misunderstandings and lack of transparency are dysfunctional for cooperation and collective work.

Thus, both the verbal and non-verbal aspects of communication need to be refined. Which brings us to the next idea.

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3. Do not assume that the other knows what you know

Each person has her skills and competencies, but they also have blind spots in terms of knowledge. Therefore, it is important to think at all times about the information that other people have or do not have when communicating with them.

4. Don't confuse leadership with pride

Many people, when they think of the concept of a leader, associate it with the idea of ​​pride. However, this is a mistake for a number of reasons, one of which is that leadership only makes sense in the context of the group, for which it is necessary that several people participate in a group or team so that there is the possibility of a leader. The latter needs others, but not all collectives need a leader.

5. Don't use the group as therapy

A leader is important to the group because he is closely linked to common goals. Therefore, you cannot abuse the authority that other people grant you to alleviate tensions by creating conflicts with those who are in your charge. This, besides being unethical, it is very damaging to the whole.

6. Make sure there are always goals to achieve

All parts of an organization or group must move according to specific objectives to be achieved. If this is not the case, stagnation will appear, and it is even very possible that parts of the group leave due to lack of motivation and incentives in general.

7. Practice assertiveness

When it comes to learning the steps of how to be a leader, it is essential to fully adopt an assertive style of communication. That is, having the facility to respect others at all times, and at the same time defend the appropriateness of the decisions that you have made yourself.

This is because some people, in order not to displease, do not report certain problems related to the work done by a person or several members of the organization, so that these weaknesses become chronic. A little awkward moments should not be avoided as long as everything is a continual torrent of praise. If someone makes mistakes, he must communicate.

8. Explain the why of things

It is important for everyone to understand the logic behind a leader's decisions. This is so because the appearance of arbitrariness in leadership greatly wears down the authority of the leader, even when technically what he does makes sense and is effective in moving toward a goal joint.

Bibliographic references:

• Gutiérrez Valdebenito, O. (2015). Leadership studies of men and women. Political and Strategy Magazine N ° 126, 13-35.
• Trevisani, Daniele. (2016). Communication for Leadership: Coaching Leadership Skills (2 ed.). Ferrara: Medialab Research. p. 21.